HBU baseball drops season finale to Sam Houston State

Published 7:30 am, Monday, May 23, 2016

Sam Houston State benefitted from a controversial call in the ninth for a 5-4, walk-off victory over HBU in the season finale Saturday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium.

Senior second baseman David Bloodworth hit his first career home run and drove in two for the Huskies (24-29, 12-18 SLC), while senior shortstop Louie Payetta went 2-for-4 with a double and scored twice.

Zach Smith went 1-for-4 and drove in a pair for the Bearkats (37-19, 24-6), while Spence Rahm wnet 2-for-3 with an RBI. Bryce Johnson went 2-for-4.

Dylan Zarosky (2-5) took the loss for HBU, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts in two innings. Junior starter Addison Russ took a no-decision, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

Greg Belton (5-1) received the win for SHSU, getting the final out in the top of the ninth. Bearkats starter Dakota Mills allowed two runs on three hits in 4.2 innings, while Hayden Nixon allowed two runs on two hits in three.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Rahm led off with a single to center and was lifted for pinch runner Jaxxon Grisham. Taylor Beene laid down a bunt down the first baseline and senior first baseman Andrew Alvarez reached out to tag him, but Beene avoided the tag by running well outside the baseline to reach first safely. Johnson followed by slapping an infield single off the glove of senior third baseman Justin Monsour to load the bases with no outs, before Lance Miles struck out. Zarosky then walked Smith to plate the game-winning run.

The Huskies struck first as Payetta led off the game with a double into the rightfield corner, his team-leading 12th of the season, then scored on an RBI single by Alvarez. The Bearkats answered in the bottom half as Johnson led off with a single and Miles reached on a fielder’s choice. Miles scored when HBU threw out a runner at second.

SHSU took the lead on Smith’s solo home run to right in the third, then added another run in the fourth, then added another in the fourth for a 3-1 advantage.

Monsour doubled in the fifth and scored on a wild pitch. Payetta reached on a two-out infield single, then Bloodworth launched a two-run shot to left to put HBU ahead, 4-3, before a 30-minute lightning delay.

Robie Rojas doubled in the sixth and came around to score the tying run.

The Huskies are tentatively scheduled to open the 2017 season with a four-game series against Fordham Feb. 17-19 at Husky Field.